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S u n d ay, au g u S t 16, 2026
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La.’s push for wind power off Gulf Coast stalls
German firm sees ‘no path forward’ after settlement BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
A new Louisiana law requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. A conservative group donated posters like the one pictured to every school system.
Students return to class with Ten Commandments displayed
The prospect of wind power off Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, once touted as a boon for local companies and a way to reduce climate-warming emissions, appears dead in the water — at least for now. The recent announcement that German firm RWE had reached a $1.22 billion settlement with President Donald Trump’s administration to relinquish its offshore wind leases, including off Louisiana’s southwestern coast, has laid bare a stark reality facing the industry. Offshore wind in the Gulf — and nationwide — is up against enormous odds under Trump, industry analysts say. The president has loudly
ä See WIND, page 9A
Most schools have complied; some teachers say they’re resisting BY PATRICK WALL, ELYSE CARMOSINO and MARIE FAZIO Staff writers
Swept up in the back-to-school bustle, Sadeel Abed didn’t notice the glossy new posters until a student in her art class pointed one out. It featured a photo of a monument bearing the Ten Commandments in Gothic script. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court cleared a Louisiana law requiring public schools and colleges to post the Biblical text in every classroom. When Abed and her peers returned from summer break to their Jefferson Parish high school last
week, they found the Ten Commandments on display alongside the usual whiteboards, world maps and American flags. “Some kids have noticed, and they’re not happy about it,” said Abed, a senior at West Jefferson High School. That’s one classroom, in one district. In others, district leaders say things have passed without much interest at all. In Bossier Parish, Superintendent Jason Rowland said the rollout was smooth. “It’s just not an issue,” he said, “and we’re not going to make one out of it.” The posters have been a long time coming. The Republican-controlled state Legis-
lature passed the Ten Commandments law in 2024, but it was paused after a group of public-school parents sued, arguing that the displays violated their children’s religious freedom. A federal judge declared the law unconstitutional, but in February the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s ruling. The appeals court said the legal challenge was premature because it came before the law was enacted, leaving the door open for future lawsuits by parents and civil liberties groups now that the displays are going up.
ä See DISPLAY, page 4A
FILE PHOTO
Louisiana companies were instrumental in the development of the Block Island Wind Farm, the United States’ first commercial offshore wind farm located in state waters of Rhode Island.
Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line marks year of promise, peril
The rising sense of both hope and to many cities where Amtrak Ridership numbers are high, but train faces questions over safety ment peril is creating a test for Amtrak now stops.
BY MARTHA SANCHEZ
celebrating a year of extraordiStaff writer nary success and promise, even as its leaders confront growing quesThe Amtrak route that carries tions of safety at rail crossings hundreds of passengers a day be- along the Gulf Coast. The route, called the Mardi Gras tween New Orleans and Mobile is
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Service, looks like a win. Since trains began running last August, the line has more than doubled its ridership projections, boosted regional tourism and helped bring new signs of economic develop-
But the triumphs have been complicated by five deadly crashes, which have killed seven people. All died crossing the tracks in cars, maneuvering around lowered gates at crossings or walking along the rails as a train closed in.
Business ......................1E Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Classified ..................... 1F Living............................1D Opinion ........................6B Commentary ................7B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
and its partners around the region, who say they are striving to prevent collisions and lure more passengers than ever. “It’s been an exceptional first
ä See AMTRAK, page 6A
14TH yEAR, NO. 4